Where there’s a Will, there’s a way - Caldwell

Paul Kendrick

Gary Caldwell admitted Will Grigg’s winning goal against Wolves, coupled with Adam Le Fondre’s early goal on debut, capped a ‘dream scenario’ for himself and Wigan Athletic.

The Latics boss had sprung a massive shock before the game by leaving out Grigg and handing Le Fondre his full debut following his recent loan arrival from Cardiff.

Le Fondre responded by opening the scoring with only six minutes gone, only for Wolves to equalise just after the half-hour mark through Prince Oniangue.

Grigg duly appeared for the last half-hour, taking over from Le Fondre, and was in the right place at the right time to round goalkeeper Carl Ikeme and slot home into an empty net to lift Latics out of the Championship drop zone.

“I think it shows the spirit and the togetherness that we have at the club,” Caldwell acknowledged.

“I spoke to Will before I named the team, and it’s one of the hardest parts of the job for me, telling a player who works extremely hard all week - and one who’s done as well as he has - that he’s not going to start.

“He took it on the chin, I said I would need him to come on and play his part, and he did that fantastically well.

“When you have two strikers and they both score a goal and you win the game, it’s a bit of a dream scenario.

“I just felt Will’s just looked a little bit jaded in the last few games, he didn’t look his normal sharp self.

“His girlfriend has just had a baby, and obviously with all that emotion, and the different things that go along with that, I thought it was the night to give him a rest.

“For him to have started all three games this week would have been difficult, and I just thought it was the night to freshen things up.

“Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, and when it works you take it.”

Having not won since their opening home game of the campaign, Latics were long overdue a much-needed three points after a run of seven matches without a victory.

“I always felt we had it in us to win it,” Caldwell added.

“I thought it we dug deep enough we could win the game.

“The subs gave is the energy and the impetus to go on and win it.

“They were always a threat on the counter, but if any team was on the front foot, trying to win the game, it was us.

“It was always going to take that little bit of something, I don’t know what it is.

“You need desire and belief to win games late on, and we had it again tonight.”